diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 59667d0ce..0dde54d5c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning], with the exception that minor rel
 
 ### Changed
 
+- 👨‍💻📦 Build `spdlog` as a shared library on project installs ([#1411]) ([**@burgholzer**])
 - ♻️🏁 Remove Windows-specific restrictions for dynamic QDMI device library handling ([#1406]) ([**@burgholzer**])
 - ♻️ Migrate Python bindings from `pybind11` to `nanobind` ([#1383]) ([**@denialhaag**], [**@burgholzer**])
 - 📦️ Provide Stable ABI wheels for Python 3.12+ ([#1383]) ([**@burgholzer**], [**@denialhaag**])
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ _📚 Refer to the [GitHub Release Notes](https://github.com/munich-quantum-tool
 
 <!-- PR links -->
 
+[#1411]: https://github.com/munich-quantum-toolkit/core/pull/1411
 [#1406]: https://github.com/munich-quantum-toolkit/core/pull/1406
 [#1402]: https://github.com/munich-quantum-toolkit/core/pull/1402
 [#1385]: https://github.com/munich-quantum-toolkit/core/pull/1385
diff --git a/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
index 6f00a3e34..6f0fcda09 100644
--- a/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 include(FetchContent)
 include(CMakeDependentOption)
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
 set(FETCH_PACKAGES "")
 
 if(BUILD_MQT_CORE_BINDINGS)
@@ -94,15 +95,25 @@ set(SPDLOG_SYSTEM_INCLUDES
     ON
     CACHE INTERNAL "Treat the library headers like system headers")
 cmake_dependent_option(SPDLOG_INSTALL "Install spdlog library" ON "MQT_CORE_INSTALL" OFF)
+cmake_dependent_option(SPDLOG_BUILD_SHARED "Build spdlog as shared library" ON
+                       "BUILD_MQT_CORE_SHARED_LIBS" OFF)
 FetchContent_Declare(spdlog URL ${SPDLOG_URL} FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS ${SPDLOG_VERSION})
 list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES spdlog)
 
 # Make all declared dependencies available.
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(${FETCH_PACKAGES})
 
+# Ensure external shared libraries end up in a common lib layout used by our RUNPATH
+if(TARGET spdlog)
+  set_target_properties(
+    spdlog
+    PROPERTIES LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}"
+               ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}"
+               RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}")
+endif()
+
 # Patch for spdlog cmake files to be installed in a common cmake directory
 if(SPDLOG_INSTALL)
-  include(GNUInstallDirs)
   install(
     CODE "
     file(GLOB SPDLOG_CMAKE_FILES
diff --git a/src/qdmi/na/CMakeLists.txt b/src/qdmi/na/CMakeLists.txt
index 79bf8d48e..2eb8e54ac 100644
--- a/src/qdmi/na/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/qdmi/na/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ if(NOT TARGET ${TARGET_NAME})
   target_sources(${TARGET_NAME} PUBLIC FILE_SET HEADERS BASE_DIRS ${MQT_CORE_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR}
                                        FILES ${MQT_CORE_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR}/qdmi/na/Generator.hpp)
 
-  # Link nlohmann_json, spdlog
+  # Link nlohmann_json and spdlog
   target_link_libraries(
     ${TARGET_NAME}
     PUBLIC nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json
diff --git a/src/qdmi/sc/CMakeLists.txt b/src/qdmi/sc/CMakeLists.txt
index e6dc288d9..67a7d1a05 100644
--- a/src/qdmi/sc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/qdmi/sc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ if(NOT TARGET ${TARGET_NAME})
   target_sources(${TARGET_NAME} PUBLIC FILE_SET HEADERS BASE_DIRS ${MQT_CORE_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR}
                                        FILES ${MQT_CORE_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR}/qdmi/sc/Generator.hpp)
 
-  # Link nlohmann_json, spdlog
+  # Link nlohmann_json and spdlog
   target_link_libraries(
     ${TARGET_NAME}
     PUBLIC nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json